GAMEDAY: Game 74 - Lehigh Valley (36-30-7) at Hershey (40-25-7) 7:00 p.m. ET

HERSHEY, PA -- The Lehigh Valley Phantoms finished their 12-game regular season series with the Hershey Bears Tuesday with a 3-2 overtime win to keep their mathematical playoff chances, albeit extremely slim, still alive heading into the final two games of the season.

The Phantoms' win moves them to within four points of fourth place Providence, who they will face Friday night in Rhode Island. The only way the Phantoms can make the playoffs is with back-to-back wins to end the season, coupled with three straight losses by Providence this weekend AND the Phantoms also would need to make up a 26-goal deficit in goal differential to make the most miraculous post-season appearance on a fourth tiebreaker you'll probably ever see in the history of sport.

Lehigh Valley Phantoms Roster Notes

Phantoms' Lines (Starters in Bold/Italics)

Carsen Twarynski - Cole Bardreau - David Kase Greg Carey - Corban Knight - Chris ConnerTyrell Goulbourne - Byron Froese - Nicolas Aube-Kubel Matthew Strome - Connor Bunnaman - Colin McDonald

T.J. Brennan - Rob Michel Phil Samuelsson - Phil MyersZach Palmquist - Mark Friedman

Alex Lyon - Mike McKenna

Phantoms' Scratches: James de Haas (healthy), David Schlemko (injured), Steven Swavely (healthy), Mikhail Vorobyev (injured), German Rubtsov (injured), Jori Lehtera (veteran), Mike Vecchione (injured), Pascal Laberge (injured?) and Reece Willcox (?)

GAME STORY

FIRST PERIOD

The Hershey Bears controlled a majority of play in the opening half of the period, but each time they got a good look at the net Phantoms' goaltender Alex Lyon was equal to the task. In all, Lyon stopped 10 shots in the opening frame - helping keep the game scoreless.

Lehigh Valley spent too much time defending in the period, but were able to break through and get some extended offensive zone time as the period wore on.

One player in particular who stood out for the Phantoms in the first frame was none other than newcomer Matthew Strome. In his fourth pro game, Strome was out there trying to make plays with the few shifts he got on the fourth line in the opening 20 minutes. An encouraging sign for Strome, who looks to turn pro and grab a spot on the Phantoms' roster next fall.

SECOND PERIOD

The Phantoms got to the attack early and often in the middle frame, getting the game's first goal after some hard work from Carsen Twarynski.

Philip Samuelsson flipped a puck ahead to the far blue line, where Twarynski won a 1-on-1 battle with Bears' defenseman Aaron Ness - gaining control of the loose puck and breaking in on Vitek Vanacek before beating the Bears' goalie to the blocker side 2:58 into the period to give Lehigh Valley a 1-0 lead.

About five minutes later, Colin McDonald took a pass from Phil Myers and fired a hard shot from the bottom of the right-wing circle that eluded Vanecek - extending the Phantoms' lead to 2-0 with 12:25 left in the middle stanza. Matthew Strome picked up a secondary assist on the play, his first career pro point.

Lyon continued his strong play in net from there to preserve the 2-0 lead heading into the third, making several sharp stops on Mike Sgarbossa again in the middle frame - including a stellar right pad save on Sgarbossa shortly after McDonald's goal.

THIRD PERIOD

Hershey, who clinched a playoff berth Sunday when the Phantoms defeated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, didn't call it quits trailing 2-0 to start the third.

In fact, a goal from Beck Malenstyn 3:25 into the period followed by a double-minor for high-sticking on Greg Carey on the following shift gave the Bears momentum and a four-minute power play with a chance to even the game at two apiece.

They did just that, getting a goal in the second half of the double-minor from Maximilian Kammerer to make it a brand new game with 14:02 left in regulation.

But, the Phantoms found a way to get it to overtime. Not before a questionable call on Connor Bunnaman while the Phantoms were on a power play nearing the final minute of regulation.

The penalty carried over into the extra session.

OVERTIME

After the brief 4-on-3 Bears power play in overtime expired, head coach Kerry Huffman decided to give Bunnaman and Carsen Twarynski a shift in the second half of the overtime period.

Whether it was the hockey gods, or something else, it's only right that Bunnaman was the guy to tally the game-winning goal. In what Bunnaman described as another "greasy one", he joked after the game that his teammates call the dirty area in front of the net Bunnaman's office.

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

No Scoring/Penalties

2nd Period

2:58: LV - Twarynski (10) - Samuelsson 4:09: LV - (PP) Froese, minor (holding) 7:35: LV - McDonald (11) - Myers, Strome 16:39: LV - (PP) McDonald, minor (cross-checking)

3rd Period

3:25: HER - Malentsyn (7) - Ness, Steman 3:45: LV - (PP) Carey, double-minor (high-sticking) 5:58: HER - PPG Kammerer (4) - Snively, Sproul 18:26: HER - (PP) Megna, minor (tripping) 18:58: LV - (PP) Bunnaman, minor (holding) 18:58: LV - Myers, ten-minute misconduct (abuse of officials)

Overtime

3:28: LV - Bunnaman (19) - Friedman, Twarynski

BOXSCORE

Lehigh Valley  0 - 2 - 0 - 1 = 3 Hershey Bears 0 - 0 - 2 - 0 = 2

Shots

Lehigh Valley  6 - 11 - 8 - 3 = 28 Hershey Bears 10 - 12 - 7 - 3 = 32

Goalies

LV: Alex Lyon (30 saves - 32 shots) HER: Vitek Vanecek (25 saves - 28 shots)

Power Play

LV: 0-for-1 HER: 1-for-5

Penalty Kill

LV: 4-for-5 HER: 1-for-1

Attendance: 8,520